Honor the Mounds on August 11

The annual Honor the Mounds Gathering is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday, August 11 in Beattie Park. The event, free to the public, is a Native American festival held annually in the park, located on the shores of the Rock River. Beattie Park is home to four Native American burial mounds, including one Turtle Effigy Mound, and is considered a holy place by Native American peoples. Beattie Park is located at the corner of North Main Street and Park Avenue. Parking is available at Burpee Museum, 737 N. Main St., and in the Riverfront Museum Park lot at 711 North Main.

The Native American Awareness Committee organizes the gathering each year, and the event is co-sponsored by the Burpee Museum of Natural History, the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois, WIFR-TV and the Rockford Park District.

Other activities to be featured include: demonstrations of nettle weaving and fire starting; demonstrations of flint knapping; Connie Margarski will host a childrens area featuring craft activities, songs, stories and games. Food vendors will be on site.

Enjoy the day at Beattie Park, and learn more about Native American history and culture. Sponsors and donations for the event are still being sought. If you, your company or organization would like to help sponsor this educational, family and community-oriented event, please call the Native American Awareness Committee, and ask for Sherman MacVenn at (815) 282-3877. Or call Renee Jensen at the Burpee Museum at (815) 965-3433.